It was two years ago that I asked the members of SAM if they wanted a trail map. It was a rhetorical question for sure but one that had to be asked. Everyone wanted a new map but few were willing to do the heavy lifting. Google makes it look easy but map making is a total pain in the derriere.

What seems to be a relatively simple project from the outside is more akin to conducting a symphony orchestra of untrained musicians. This is not meant to be an insult to those who took part in the project, quite the contrary. Think about it, none of the volunteers involved in collecting data or piecing it together are professional cartographers. They are regular folks like you and me who had to forgo the fancy title and play map-maker for their club and SAM. They have my utmost respect.

Their efforts paid off, a new map has been printed and ready for distribution. Woot! As you might imagine, it was an expensive project but well worth it. The clubs have the maps in hand right now and will make them available throughout the Snow Belt. The easiest way to get your snow-mitts on one is by attending a club meeting. Please note that the SAM office will not mail or distribute maps to individuals, no matter how much they beg. They are only available via the clubs. Some may distribute them at local shops that sell memberships.

Someone asked why we didn’t sell advertising to offset the cost of printing? There is a very good reason – no one volunteered. Out of the 17,000 riders in the state we couldn’t find anyone to sell ads, so we had to foot 100% of the bill. It would be fantastic if a few snowmobilers stepped forward for next year’s map. Next year? The printing is a limited run so there may not be many left over next year. We will have to take inventory at the end of the season, but another print run is a distinct possibility. Do we have any ad salesmen out there?

Every great orchestra has a conductor, ours is Craig Warner of the Conway Club. He is professional, patient and always manages to get the job done. His pain threshold is apparently high. For those of you unfamiliar with Craig, he’s been waist-deep in sledmass.com for many years and has taken on several other projects for SAM. His photography has been displayed on the cover of our magazine on more than one occasion, including this month. He was awarded the first ever President’s Award in recognition of his volunteer efforts in 2009.

My personal thanks to all those involved, the finished product is impressive. Clubs should be sure to recognize those who mapped their trails. It was an outstanding effort. Yup, the map project was a biggie, maybe even larger than we first thought. Humongous may best describe it but only Craig knows for sure. If you see him on the trail be sure to thank him, especially if you aren’t lost.